See All the Big Ads From Sunday's Oscars Telecast

Google, Verizon, Walmart and Rolex came out swinging

Next to the Super Bowl, the Oscars are the second biggest showcase of the year for TV commercials. On Sunday night, we got plenty of big-budget spots—many of them with Hollywood tie-ins—including several advertisers who aired a slew of spots each. 

On a somewhat unpredictable night for the awards themselves, were any of the commercials particularly fun and surprising? See below for a roundup. 


Google

Google had fun throughout the evening by embedding its technology in classic film scenes for the "#HeyGoogle, Let's Go to the Movies" campaign. In addition to the 60-second compilation spot below, there were also a bunch of :15s.

#HeyGoogle, Let's Go to the Movies

Verizon

Verizon aired six commercials from McCann and The Community featuring real stories of its customers and how the carrier's network was important for them at critical moments of their lives. Below is one of the spots; see the others on YouTube.

Verizon | Real Good Reasons – Susana & Randy

Cadillac

The automaker and agency Rokkan used the Oscars stage to debut a new positioning, "Rise Above," featuring all the vehicles in Cadillac's crossover/SUV lineup—the XT4, XT5, XT6 and the Escalade. The soundtrack for all the spots was Childish Gambino's "Me and Your Mama." Below is the anthem spot. 

The 2019 Cadillac SUVs | Rise Above

Walmart

The retailer recruited six Hollywood stylists—Elizabeth Stewart, Tara Swennen, Ashley Weston, Michael Fisher, Ilaria Urbinati and Jeanne Yang—in a new partnership with The Academy to promote fashion's importance to film. The campaign celebrates the industry's behind-the-scenes talents and portrays Walmart as a fashion destination in stores and online. See the individual spots on Walmart's YouTube page. 

We Style the Stars Behind the Scenes

Rolex

The watch maker called on four heavy-hitting Hollywood directors—Martin Scorsese, Alejandro G. Iñárritu, Kathryn Bigelow and James Cameron—who were seen writing letters to future filmmakers. It also designed the swanky-as-hell green room for the ceremony, where guests were taken on a journey to the bottom of the sea—part of Rolex's Perpetual Planet campaign. Along with the :60 below, each filmmaker got a 30-second spot.

Rolex and Cinema

Nike

Late in the telecast, Nike rolled out the wonderful "Dream Crazier," its 90-second follow-up to last year's celebrated "Dream Crazy" commercial. This one was narrated by Serena Williams and focused on the hurdles women athletes face. 

Nike | Dream Crazier

Apple

The tech giant used two quirky :30s to push the "depth control" photo feature on the iPhone—and to remind you not to Bokeh your friends' kids.

Depth Control — Bokeh’d — Apple
Depth Control — Alejandro — Apple

Hennessy

Ridley Scott's four-minute visual extravaganza "The Seven Worlds" was cut into a :60 for the Oscars telecast. 

Hennessy X.O - The Seven Worlds - Directed by Ridley Scott (Short Version)

Budweiser

Charlize Theron starred in a :60 for Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager. 

Budweiser Reserve Copper Lager feat. Charlize Theron | Oscars 2019

Movies and TV Shows

ABC pushed its upcoming spy drama Whiskey Cavalier hard all night with a series of "Spyvertising" spoof ads from Deutsch, featuring the show's stars, Scott Foley and Lauran Cohen. We also got clips for FX's Fosse/Verdon series, as well as the films The Irishman, The Lion King and Rocketman. See all of those below.

Whiskey Cavalier 'Spyvertising' | Getaway
Fosse/Verdon | Bobby Teaser | FX
The Irishman | Announcement [HD]
The Lion King | Long Live the King
Rocketman (2019) - Fantasy - Paramount Pictures
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Tim Nudd
Tim Nudd was editor in chief of the Clio Awards and editor of Muse by Clio from 2018 to 2023.

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